Movie
Description
Alfons Heiderich is a young German rocket scientist living in Munich in 1921, who becomes a crucial figure in Edward Elric's life after Edward is pulled through the Gate into the real world. He is the parallel world counterpart of Alphonse Elric, Edward's younger brother, and shares a strong physical resemblance to him. His appearance is characterized by blond hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion.
In terms of personality, Alfons is presented as easygoing, kind-hearted, and a man of science. He is altruistic and courteous, often finding satisfaction in making others happy, as demonstrated when he readily allows Edward and a Roma girl named Noah to stay in his home. Despite his friendly nature, he possesses a strong, unyielding determination, especially when it comes to his work. He tends to hide his own pain and emotions, preferring to suffer in silence rather than appear weak or burden others. This stoicism is partly a mask to prevent people from underestimating him due to his poor health. He is also stubborn and will not give up on his goals, even when faced with his own mortality.
Alfons's primary motivation is to complete his life's work: building a rocket that can carry a person to the stars. He is driven by a desire to prove that the German spirit was not broken after the country's defeat in the Great War and to leave a lasting legacy of his existence. This urgency is amplified by a fatal lung disease, likely contracted from inhaling toxic rocket fumes and the polluted air of the era, which is slowly killing him and has given him only a few years to live. He does not speak openly about his illness, and his determination to finish his rockets overrides his concerns for his own well-being.
Within the story, Alfons is Edward's anchor in the unfamiliar world of 1920s Germany. The two studied rocketry together under Dr. Hermann Oberth in Romania before returning to Munich, where Alfons gave Edward a place to live. While he enjoys listening to Edward's fantastical tales of Amestris and alchemy, he doubts their truthfulness and is hurt by Edward's assumption that their world is merely a waking dream from which he is eager to escape. His role becomes tragically complex when he accepts sponsorship from the Thule Society to fund his rocket research, despite personally disagreeing with their racist ideology of an Aryan race. Unaware that the Society plans to use his rockets to invade and plunder Edward's world, he becomes a tool for their scheme, driven by his desperate need to achieve his dream before his death.
His key relationships include his friendship with Edward, which is marked by mutual respect but also tension due to Edward's single-minded desire to return home. He also forms a protective bond with Noah, the mind-reading Roma girl they shelter. His sponsor within the Thule Society is Rudolf Hess.
Alfons undergoes significant development as he is forced to confront the truth about the Thule Society's intentions. In a moment of intense confrontation, he reveals his illness to Edward, asserting that he and this world are real and not just a dream. In his final act, he helps his reluctant friend return home by launching him back through the opened Gate in a two-seater rocket. Immediately after this selfless act, he is shot in the chest and killed by Rudolf Hess for his perceived betrayal. When Edward later returns to this world, he finds Noah cradling Alfons's body, and his funeral is attended by those he helped.
Alfons possesses no supernatural abilities. His notable talents lie in his genius-level intellect and skill in engineering and rocketry. He has a great dexterity with his hands and deep knowledge in his scientific field, allowing him to design and build advanced rockets that are pivotal to the film's plot.
In terms of personality, Alfons is presented as easygoing, kind-hearted, and a man of science. He is altruistic and courteous, often finding satisfaction in making others happy, as demonstrated when he readily allows Edward and a Roma girl named Noah to stay in his home. Despite his friendly nature, he possesses a strong, unyielding determination, especially when it comes to his work. He tends to hide his own pain and emotions, preferring to suffer in silence rather than appear weak or burden others. This stoicism is partly a mask to prevent people from underestimating him due to his poor health. He is also stubborn and will not give up on his goals, even when faced with his own mortality.
Alfons's primary motivation is to complete his life's work: building a rocket that can carry a person to the stars. He is driven by a desire to prove that the German spirit was not broken after the country's defeat in the Great War and to leave a lasting legacy of his existence. This urgency is amplified by a fatal lung disease, likely contracted from inhaling toxic rocket fumes and the polluted air of the era, which is slowly killing him and has given him only a few years to live. He does not speak openly about his illness, and his determination to finish his rockets overrides his concerns for his own well-being.
Within the story, Alfons is Edward's anchor in the unfamiliar world of 1920s Germany. The two studied rocketry together under Dr. Hermann Oberth in Romania before returning to Munich, where Alfons gave Edward a place to live. While he enjoys listening to Edward's fantastical tales of Amestris and alchemy, he doubts their truthfulness and is hurt by Edward's assumption that their world is merely a waking dream from which he is eager to escape. His role becomes tragically complex when he accepts sponsorship from the Thule Society to fund his rocket research, despite personally disagreeing with their racist ideology of an Aryan race. Unaware that the Society plans to use his rockets to invade and plunder Edward's world, he becomes a tool for their scheme, driven by his desperate need to achieve his dream before his death.
His key relationships include his friendship with Edward, which is marked by mutual respect but also tension due to Edward's single-minded desire to return home. He also forms a protective bond with Noah, the mind-reading Roma girl they shelter. His sponsor within the Thule Society is Rudolf Hess.
Alfons undergoes significant development as he is forced to confront the truth about the Thule Society's intentions. In a moment of intense confrontation, he reveals his illness to Edward, asserting that he and this world are real and not just a dream. In his final act, he helps his reluctant friend return home by launching him back through the opened Gate in a two-seater rocket. Immediately after this selfless act, he is shot in the chest and killed by Rudolf Hess for his perceived betrayal. When Edward later returns to this world, he finds Noah cradling Alfons's body, and his funeral is attended by those he helped.
Alfons possesses no supernatural abilities. His notable talents lie in his genius-level intellect and skill in engineering and rocketry. He has a great dexterity with his hands and deep knowledge in his scientific field, allowing him to design and build advanced rockets that are pivotal to the film's plot.